Welcome!Welcome! Water Pollution Control Water Pollution Control

Advisory CouncilAdvisory Council

OverviewOverview• Role of the Council

– operation

• Rulemaking• Permitting• Water quality standards

– Temporary water quality standards

Water Pollution Control Water Pollution Control Advisory CouncilAdvisory Council

• Council acts in advisory capacity to DEQ on matters relating to water pollution

• advisory capacity “Means furnishing advice, gathering information, making recommendations, and performing other activities that may be necessary to comply with federal funding requirements and does not mean administering a program or function or setting a policy.”

Water Pollution Control Water Pollution Control Advisory CouncilAdvisory Council

• DEQ designates secretary• Members designate deputy or

alternate• Annually:

– Council selects presiding officer– Set meeting calendar

Meeting PreparationMeeting Preparation• Agenda development

– Council members & DEQ solicited– Chair & secretary finalize

• Information packages distributed to Council prior to meeting– Include agenda item summary sheets

and copy of draft rule on rulemaking items

MeetingsMeetings• About 6/yr• scheduled about 1 month prior to

BER• held in Helena• Chair & secretary may decide to

conference call or cancel• DEQ can cover travel expense

Reimbursement Rates• Vehicle Mileage: $0.445/mile• Airline tickets will be reimbursed-

Receipt required• Hotel rooms will be reimbursed at the

federal rate of $60.00/night + tax-Receipt required. Rates above this will require additional authorization.

• Meals will be reimbursed as follows: – Morning 12:01 AM to 10:00 AM--$5.00– Midday 10:01 AM to 3:00 PM--$6.00– Evening 3:01 to 12:00 Midnight--$12.00

Travel Reimbursement

• A Travel Reimbursement form may be obtained from Petrina.

• Fill form out and return to Petrina or Bob.

Rulemaking process at DEQ

– Typical informal process followed1. Initial draft or concept2. Stakeholder group consulted3. WPCAC can be considered such a

stakeholder group4. WPCAC plays a dual role: must be

part of procedure before going to Board and may be a stakeholder earlier (example, fees for water quality discharge permits)

Formal Rulemaking Process

• Rules come before WPCAC before Board• Board Initiation• Publication in Administrative Register• Public hearing process• Response to comment• Back to Board for adoption: adoption,

amendment, rejection• Publication in Register: effective next day

Program Elements• Montana Pollutant Discharge Elimination

System• Montana Ground Water Pollution Control

System • Short-Term Authorizations

308 Pesticides 318 Turbidity

• 401 Certifications – Federal Clean Water Act

What is a Permit?• It is a license…

-issued by the government to a person- granting permission to do something which would be illegal in the absence of the permit.

(75-5-605, MCA – It is unlawful to…) • No right to permit; is revocable for

cause • Permit is license to discharge

NPDES Delegation - 1974The purpose of this subchapter 11, 12,13 and 14 is to establish

and implement one common system for issuing permits …… which is compatible with the national pollutant discharge

elimination system as established by the US EPA pursuant to section 402 of the federal Clean Water Act. ARM 17.30.1301.

Basic ProgramGeneral Permit

Federal Facilities

Non-delegatedPretreatment

Biosolids

Types of Wastewater

• Process Wastewater• Noncontact Cooling Water

– Thermal 316– Intake - 316B

• Boiler Blowdown, RO Reject, Regenerate

• Storm water• Sewage

Effluent Limitations• Technology-Based Effluent Limits

(TBEL)e.g. Secondary Treatment

(BOD, TSS, pH, % Removal)

• Water Quality-Based Effluent Limits (WQBEL)

e.g. Ammonia, Fecal, Nutrients, Metals, VOCs

Technology Based Effluent Limits“Minimum Treatment Requirements - WQA”

Federal Effluent Limit Guideline (ELGs) - Industrial- Best Conventional Technology (BCT)- Best Available Technology (BAT)- New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

“Zero Discharge”

- Best Professional Judgment (PBJ) CWA 402(a)(1)“Case-by-Case Basis”

National Secondary Treatment Standards – POTWs

Pretreatment Standards for Existing Sources (PSES)Pretreatment Standards for New Sources (PSNS)

Water Quality Based Effluent Limits (WQBEL)

• 40 CFR 122.44 (ARM 17.30.1344)– Necessary when technology based limits are not

adequate to protect water quality standards, including narrative;

– Necessary for all pollutants which may cause or have a reasonable potential to cause or contribute to excursion of a WQS

• ARM 17.30.637(2)– No waste that may be discharged such that either

alone or in combination with other wastes, will violate or can reasonably be expected to violate, any of the standards.

Development of a WQBELWQS

(numeric or narrative)

Translator Mechanism

Wasteload Allocation

Permit Limit(Daily Maximum, Average Monthly)

Example – Narrative WQBEL

Standard: State waters must be free from substances that will create concentrations which are toxic or

harmful to human, plant or aquatic life (ARM 17.30.637(1)(d))

Permit Limit: There shall be no acute toxicity in the effluent

Monitoring: Quarterly Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Testing

If toxicity is confirmed; facility must conduct TRE/TIE

(Qd,Cd)

(Qr,Cr)

downstream

(Qs,Cs)upstream

Effluent

CRK-A

CRK-B

Instream

MZ

Numeric - WQBEL

Mixing Zones75-5-301(5), MCA

Smallest Practicable SizeMinimum Practicable Effect on Use

Definable Boundaries

Federal & State roles• Federal Clean Water Act

– EPA • develops criteria for aquatic life and human

health• Final approval authority for state standards

• Montana Water Quality Act– Enacted by Montana legislature– Provides Montana the authority to

implement Federal CWA provisions– ARM - provides detail

• Board of Environmental Review– Adopts standards after a public involvement process

• Surface Water Quality Classifications & Standards

Water Quality Standards

State Waters

Nondegradation

Policy

Standards(narrative or

numeric)

Beneficial Uses

ImplementationProcedures

Monana’s Standards

• ARM 17.30 subchapter 6• Water Use Classification• DEQ-7 (numerics)• Narratives

Water Quality Standard Example

• Beneficial Use: Agriculture• Numeric standard for SAR in Tongue

River during irrigation season is monthly average of 3 and no sample may exceed 4.5

• Nondegradation Policy: “Harmfull”

NondegradationNondegradation (Purpose is to protect existing water quality)

• “Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW)”– National Parks & Wilderness– Waters designated by BER

• “High Quality Waters”– all non-ORW waters except

those not capable of supporting designated uses

Nondegradation• Applicable to any new or increased

discharge• Significance determination

– Carcinogens– Toxics– Harmful– Narrative

• If significant change to water quality, then need authorization to degrade

Significance ThresholdsIn

crea

sing

Cha

nge

Existing water quality: Carcinogen: no changeExisting water quality: Carcinogen: no change

15% of Standard (toxics)15% of Standard (toxics)

10%, ambient < 40% of Standard 10%, ambient < 40% of Standard (harmful)(harmful)

StandardStandard Narrative standard: measurable Narrative standard: measurable

0

xeffect on use or measurable effect on use or measurable change in aquatic life or change in aquatic life or ecological integrity)ecological integrity)

Montana’s Temporary Water Quality Standards (75-5-312 MCA)

• “The board may…..temporarily modify a water quality standard for a specific water….”

• “…goal is to improve water quality to the point at which all the beneficial uses….are supported.”

Temporary standards1. MT DEQ or petitioner prepare:

1. Support document• chemical, biological, & physical condition of the

water body or segment; • specific water quality limiting factors• water quality standards that are not being

achieved• the requested temporary modifications to water

quality standards • existing beneficial uses• designated uses considered attainable in absence

of water quality limiting factors

Temporary standards• MT DEQ or petitioner prepare:

1. Support document2. Preliminary implementation plan

• description of proposed actions that will eliminate the water quality limiting factors identified

• schedule for implementing the proposed actions that ensures that the existing water quality standards for the parameter or parameters at issue are met as soon as reasonably practicable.

Temporary standards1. MT DEQ or petitioner prepare:

– Support document– Preliminary implementation plan

2. BER makes decision3. DEQ or petitioner

– Modify implementation & schedule as directed– Develop detailed work plan during first field season

4. Remediation work5. Periodic review & adjustment as necessary

until:• Full support• Plan not being implemented

EXTRA SlidesFollow

SUMMARY• Federal Clean Water Act

– EPA - develops criteria for aquatic life and human health

– States - designate uses and adopt standards

• Montana Water Quality Act– ARM - provides detail

• Surface Water Quality Classifications & Standards

• WQB-7 - numeric water quality standards

• Standards– Beneficial uses– Criteria to protect uses (Standards)

SUMMARY• Standards

– Can be numeric or narrative– Generally adopted from Federal 304 (a)

criteria e.g. Cu, As– Montana may develop scientific basis,

e.g. nutrients– Standards to protect human health may

be less stringent than for aquatic life, or vice versa

The EPA Considers Montana’s WQ Standards to be the:

Water Quality Act,Administrative Rules of Montana,Mixing Zone Rules,

Surface Water Quality Standards and Procedures,Non-degradation Rules, andWQB-7

These include a mix of narrative (…to be maintained free from…) and numeric (10µg/L) “standards.”

Administrative Rules of Montana(ARM)

• Puts the WQA (and other Legislation) into Action

• Title 17, Chapter 30,– Subchapter 5 - Mixing Zone Rules– Subchapter 6 - Surface Water Quality– Subchapter 7 - Nondegradation Rules– Subchapter 10 - Ground Water Pollution

Control System– Subchapter 11- Stormwater Rules – Subchapters 12-13 Montana Pollutant

Discharge Elimination System

Federal Clean Water ActFederal Clean Water Act

Federal Clean Water ActFederal Clean Water Act

THE GOALS:

• No Discharge of Pollutants

• Fishable/Swimmable

TO BE ACHIEVED BY:

• Technology Based Controls

• Water Quality Standards

Federal Clean Water Act Directs the States To:

• Designate Beneficial Uses– Health– Aquatic life

• Adopt Standards– provides section 304(a) criteria– States can develop based on sound

science

What is a Water Quality Standard?

• Designated Uses– Human Health– Aquatic Life

• Criteria to protect those uses (MT Standards)– Numeric

• DEQ-7

– Narrative

• Antidegradation Policy

Water Quality Standards (WQS)

Specific WQSFecal, DO, pH, Temperature, Color &

WQB-7

General WQS (Narrative)“Free From”

State options for setting standards to protect benefical uses(40 CFR 131.11)

• Numeric standards be based on:– 304(a) guidance

• Published by EPA

– Other scientifically defensible methods

• Narrative where numeric cannot be determined

  

• ARM 17.30.637 (1): “State surface waters must be ARM 17.30.637 (1): “State surface waters must be free from substances attributable to municipal, free from substances attributable to municipal, industrial, agricultural practices or other discharges industrial, agricultural practices or other discharges that will:that will:(e) create conditions which produce undesirable (e) create conditions which produce undesirable aquatic life. aquatic life.

Narrative StandardsNarrative Standards

Example

Montana Water Quality ActMontana Water Quality Act• Provides DEQ authority to implement

Federal Clean Water Act programs– Water Quality Standards– MPDES

• Directs DEQ to provide opportunity to WPCAC to comment on proposed rulemaking prior to first publication

• The Board of Environmental Review (BER) adopts rules and standards.